Giants manager Bruce Bochy said he didn't want to rush him and make him lose any sleep. Kickham was with the Triple-A Fresno Grizzlies in Colorado Springs when he learned he would be making his Major League debut Tuesday night, starting against the A's in Oakland.

Catcher Guillermo Quiroz worked with Kickham during Spring Training and described him as a competitor.

"He's going to compete for sure," Quiroz said. "I could see he wanted to be on the mound and to show he can pitch here."

Kickham has gone 3-1 with a 1.72 ERA over his last five starts with Fresno.

"His stuff is good," Quiroz said. "He was working on a changeup in Spring Training and has a good fastball and slider."

Bochy said Buster Posey will catch Kickham, who was drafted by the Giants in the sixth round of the 2010 First-Year Player Draft.

Kickham was 4-9 with a 5.25 ERA during his senior year at Missouri State, where he studied biology and pre-med. He struck out 103 in 96 innings.

Rick Eymer is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.